Cecil Fielder

Lore & Background

Fielder attended Nogales High School in La Puente, California, and was named an All-American in 1981. He enrolled at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). He was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in 1981 but did not sign, then by the Kansas City Royals in 1982 and signed. On February 5, 1983, he was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays for Leon Roberts. He made his MLB debut on July 18, 1985. After the 1988 season, he signed with the Hanshin Tigers of Japan's Central League. On January 15, 1990, he signed a two-year, $3 million contract with the Detroit Tigers. In 1990, he led the majors with 51 home runs and 132 RBIs. He was a member of the All-Star Team in 1990, 1991, and 1993. He was traded to the New York Yankees on July 31, 1996, for Rubén Sierra and Matt Drews. He later signed with the Anaheim Angels in 1998 and then the Cleveland Indians in 1998.

In Their Own Story

The scoreboard reads 4-0, bottom of the seventh, and the Tigers are up two. The pitcher winds up, and Fielder is already in his stance—open, wide, almost casual, like a man waiting for a bus. The ball crosses the plate a half-beat too high, and Fielder doesn't adjust. He just swings. The crack is not a crack; it is a detonation. The ball clears the foul pole in the upper deck and lands somewhere in the parking lot. The crowd noise hits you in the chest before you even turn around. A kid in the row behind you is screaming. The pitcher walks back to the mound, looks at the empty spot in the outfield, and just shakes his head. Fielder walks back to the dugout, chews his gum, and says nothing. He never says anything. That's the thing about Cecil: the bat did the talking, and it talked loud enough for everyone.

Reader's Guide

Cecil Fielder was a power hitter known for his sudden emergence as a slugger with the Tigers. He led the majors in home runs and RBIs in 1990 and 1991, and led the AL in RBIs for three consecutive seasons (1990–1992). He hit 35 home runs in 1992. He set a major league record by taking 1,096 games to record his first career stolen base. He homered over the left-field roof at Tiger Stadium and hit the only home run to travel completely out of Milwaukee County Stadium. He won the Babe Ruth Award for most outstanding performance in the 1996 postseason. He is the father of Prince Fielder; they are the only father and son to both have 50-home run seasons in MLB history.

Did You Know?

• Cecil Fielder was the first player to hit 50 home runs on a team with a losing record since Ralph Kiner in 1949.
• He is the only player to receive the Tiger of the Year award three consecutive years (1990, 1991, 1992).
• Fielder's 51 home runs in 1990 were the most by a Tiger since Hank Greenberg slugged 58 in 1938.
• He was the first American Leaguer since Babe Ruth to lead the league in RBIs for three consecutive seasons.